Tattoo of Love Ch. 14

*Well, this is the last chapter. It's hard to believe that this story is over, because I pretty much fell in love with these two! I can't say i'm done with them for good, though. I'm definitely leaving the possibility open to continue their story sometime in the future. So, I guess i'll see what happens with that.

I just want to give a BIG THANKS to everyone who invested time in reading, and thank you so very much for your comments and votes. I really appreciate it!! I hope you will enjoy this last chapter, and hopefully it doesn't seem too abrupt. I just felt like I should end the story here. Thanks again!! x virgofemme *

The first week following her miscarriage was tough on the both of them, but once two weeks had elapsed, they found that the cloud of sadness which seemed to be hanging over them eventually cleared. They knew there was nothing that could be done to turn back the clock, so they did the only thing they could-moved on and continued to live life.

As tragic as the situation had been, it seemed to only solidify their connection as a couple, and their relationship was going stronger than ever. With Nolan's trip to the South Pacific approaching, it seemed that the days passed by with warp speed, and before they knew it, the day before his departure had arrived.

They'd chosen to spend their last twenty four hours together enjoying each other's company, and after enjoying a big breakfast they'd driven out to Oakridge Park. They'd taken a nice hike up along a hilly trail, and after an hour of walking along the path, they'd found a nice, shady spot hidden away from the main path they were traveling on.

Nolan set the backpack he was carrying down on the ground, and after pulling out a blanket, he spread it out on the grass beneath a large oak tree. He then retrieved a large paper bag from his knapsack, which contained a variety of foods they had prepared for lunch.

They sat cross legged opposite each other, and took out their individually wrapped egg salad sandwiches. They munched contentedly, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded them. It was a relatively warm day, and the sun was shining in a nearly cloudless sky.

Julia inhaled the fresh air surrounding them, picking up the scent of pinecones and grass. As she sat there enjoying the moment, she found that she was experiencing a mixture of emotions. She was happy to be spending such a gorgeous day out with her man, but she also felt sad at his rapidly approaching departure.

It was going to be difficult being separated from each other for so long, and she didn't know how she was going to deal with it. Although it had been two weeks since she'd miscarried, she still had occasional bouts of sadness. Nolan's presence was a comfort to her, and she was amazed at just how attached they'd become within the two months that they'd been dating.

Resting her eyes on her lover, she admiringly studied the features of his face, and allowed her gaze to travel over his solidly built body. Besides his incredibly attractive exterior, she also loved the fact that he was gentle and kind, and knew that she was lucky to have found such a sweet and loving man. Feeling her intense gaze, he lifted his eyes to meet hers and offered her a smile. She gave him one back, and then stretched her sandal clad foot out so that her freshly painted nails were on display. His eyes drifted to her foot, giving it an appreciative glance.

"Trying to tempt me, are you?"

"Maybe." She tilted her head to the side, and gave him a flirtatious look.

He grazed his finger along the edge of one toe, offering it a feather light touch, and she giggled in response, shifting her foot in response to the tickling sensation. She reached forward to grab a Tupperware container, and then removed the top. After grabbing a pickle, she placed the top back on and began to suck on it, enjoying the salty sweetness of the juice.

She could feel Nolan's eyes on her as she did it, and as her teeth sunk into the flesh, she took a generous bite. After swallowing the portion, she slid her tongue across her lips and then took another bite, this time looking him straight in the eyes as she did it. His lips tugged upward and he shook his head in amusement at her.

"You are such a tease."

"What do you mean?" her voice came out slightly garbled from the food in her mouth.

"Oh you know what I mean. The way you're eating that pickle. You're definitely trying to get me turned on."

"You're the one who brought the pickles along, so I'd say you were planning for this to happen. You wanted to see a phallic shaped object in my mouth, didn't you?"

A chuckle fled his lips. "I packed them because they go so perfectly with egg salad, but it's good to see that they're serving more than one purpose."

She bumped her foot playfully against his. "You're so naughty."

"Only because you make me that way."

She gave him a little smile, and then finished off her pickle. "Thanks for making lunch honey, it was really good."

"No problem." He reached into the backpack and retrieved a bright green plastic container, then set it on the blanket between them.

"What's that?"

"Dessert. I made it myself."

She removed the lid to look inside. "Heart shaped brownies? These are so cute." She leaned forward to place a kiss on his lips, and then pulled back to grab one of the treats from the container. "Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome. Sorry they aren't perfectly formed. I didn't have a cookie cutter on hand, so I just used a knife to create the heart shape."

"It's okay, no worries. The fact that they're imperfect only adds to their charm." She pushed the edge of the brownie into her mouth to have taste.

As the rich flavor of chocolate hit her taste buds, she uttered a sound of contentment, then gave him a thumbs up. A pleased look spread across his face, and he grabbed one of the sweets for himself. They enjoyed the chewy dessert in silence, and then once they had finished, Nolan pulled her up close to him so she could lay her head on his lap.

Her hair fanned out across hid thighs, and as she gazed up at the sky, he threaded his fingers through her curly strands. Nolan sat with his back against the trunk of the oak tree, glancing down at her face lovingly. They sat in stillness for a bit, simply enjoying the the peacefulness of the moment, and then Julia spoke.

"I'll miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too."

"I know it will be a good trip for you, but I still wish you didn't have to go. It's going to be weird not having you around for three months."

"It won't be easy for me, either, but at least you'll be coming to visit me for a week."

"Yeah, at least that's something to look forward to."

A warm breeze caressed her skin, and a soft rustling in the tree above brought her attention to a squirrel that was traveling along a branch.

The ringing of Julia's cell phone suddenly cut through the silence, prompting Nolan to reach into the backpack, yet before he could retrieve her phone, she placed her hand on his arm and shook her head.

"Avoiding someone?" There was a trace of curiosity in his voice.

"I can tell by the ringtone that it's my mom."

"Have you two talked since the day you were in the hospital?"

"Yeah, she called me a few days later, and we chatted for a bit. She apologized about the way that she'd been treating me, and vowed she'd be a better mom. There were a lot of promises made on her part, but I'm not so sure I believe her."

"I don't blame you. I know this may sound harsh, but I really think it'd be best if you just kept your distance from her, at least for awhile. I feel like a jerk saying it, because she's your mom, but I'll never forget how terribly she treated you."

"You don't have to feel bad about saying it, because that really is the best idea. She wanted to come out for a visit so we could have a talk face to face, but I told her not to bother. I just really need my space right now, and i'm not really sure when or if I'll allow her to see me again. To tell the truth, I really don't want to speak to her again."

Unable to stop the memories from coming, she thought back to that terrible night, and remembered how overwhelmed and terribly stressed she'd felt, not to mention the excruciating pain she'd gone through when she'd miscarried. She could feel her eyes getting moist, so she blinked a few times to keep the tears from coming. Then she pushed the flashback of images out of her mind. As her eyes locked into Nolan's she saw that his eyebrows were knitted in concern.

"You okay?"

She gave a nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about how completely dysfunctional my family is." She was quiet for a few moments and then once again spoke. "Sage called me last night."

The crease between his brow deepened, transforming the expression on his face from one of concern, to displeasure. "What did she want?" His voice was deeper than normal.

"She was begging me to forgive her for what she did, and wanted to know what she could do to set things straight."

"And what did you say?"

"I told her I did forgive her, but I also let her know that as far as I'm concerned, I no longer have a step sister. I made it very clear that I never want to speak to her or see her. She's no longer a part of my life."

"That's good. I'm glad you made that decision."

"I'm not sure about my mom. Do you think I should completely cut her off, or just keep my distance?"

"I think you should do what feels best."

She inhaled a deep breath, and then let it out. "Why can't I have a family like yours? All of your relatives are so nice."

His mouth curled into a smile. "Everyone really likes you. You made quite an impression at the party."

Once of her eyebrows lifted. "Well I did faint, so I'm not too surprised about that."

"No, I wasn't talking about that. You made an impression in a good way. My mom and dad both really dig you, and all of my other relatives told me they think you're really nice and sweet."

Her eyes lit up from his words. "It makes me happy to hear that." The tenseness she'd been feeling began to disperse, and she instantly felt her spirits lift.

"You might not have been born into my family, but you're still a part of us." He took her hand in his, and they threaded their fingers together.

"That's sweet of you to say."

"Well I mean it."

She wasn't sure she'd felt ever felt so much love for anyone, and she felt her heart surge with contentment.

"Maybe one day in the future, when we're both ready for it happen, we can have a family of our own."

Her lips pulled into a little smile. "Yeah, maybe."

Placing his palms against either side of her face, he leaned his head down and pressed his mouth to hers in a sweet, tender, upside down kiss. He then pulled back from the embrace, leaving a mere few inches between their lips, and as his breath ghosted against her skin, she heard him breathlessly declare his love for her.

* * * *

The dim gray light of early morning peeked through the narrow part in the curtains, casting patterns across the bed sheets. Julia's eyelids lifted, and as she emerged from the fog of drowsiness, she immediately realized that the vivid world she'd just been in was nothing more than a dream. She felt a pang of sadness in her heart, as well as disappointment that her dream experience had come to an end.

Focusing her eyes on the red letters of the digital alarm clock, she saw it was nearly six a.m. Only six hours remained before Nolan took his flight to the Pacific Islands. She rolled over onto her side so that she could snuggle up against him, and as she placed her palm across his broad chest, he murmured contentedly. He snaked an arm around her waist beneath the covers, and gazed into her eyes.

"Morning baby."

"Morning." She lifted her hand up to brush a few sleep tousled strands away from his eyes, loving his sexy, disheveled morning hair look.

He glanced at the clock, and then once again met her eyes. "Hard to believe I'll be gone in the next six hours."

She offered a small sigh. "I know, and I'm not looking forward to it. Wish I could go with you."

Nolan stroked his finger along her hipbone. "So do I, but at least you'll be coming out for a trip next month."

"I'm already counting the days."

His lips curled into a little smile. "So, what did you dream about last night? I heard you making little noises in your sleep."

"I had a couple of different dreams, but the one I just woke up from was about you and me."

"What were we doing?"

"Taking a bath together. I was sitting between your legs, with my back against your chest, and you were soaping me up. I had this really big pregnant belly, and you were rubbing a large sponge all over it."

"Wow, that sounds like a nice dream."

"It was. I remember how happy I felt, and how much love I could feel coming from you." She was quiet for a few moments and then once again spoke. "I remember you kept rubbing my belly and referring to the baby inside as Julius."

"Julius, huh?" He offered a light chuckle. "That's very close to your own name."

"Yeah, I know. Don't ask me why I came up with it."

"It's not a bad name for a boy. I think it's kind of nice."

"Yeah, so do I. But if I ever did have a son, I wouldn't name it something that sounded so close to my own name. I'd prefer something that was entirely different."

"I can understand that." He pulled her closer up against him. "You're a strong woman, you know that?"

"Am I?"

"Yes. You've gone through hell with your family. And what I saw that evening we went for dinner, that was only a fraction of what you've been going through for years. How have you managed to deal with it?"

She pulled her shoulders into a little shrug. "I don't know, I guess I just got used to it after awhile."

"Well I think you're amazing for having dealt with it for this long."

He mouth curved into a little smile, and she gave him a kiss on the chest. She then grazed her fingers over his torso, allowing them to travel downward until they rested against his abdominals. Her eyes drank in the sight of his gorgeously toned body, and she ran her palm against his smooth skin, tenderly caressing it. Nolan's eyes followed her hands as she moved them lower, and as her palm made contact with the crotch of his boxers, he released a breathy noise.

"Make love to me." Her hand cupped his manhood, as if to emphasize just how badly she needed him.

"You sure it's okay?"

She gave a nod. "We waited two weeks, just like the doctor said, and I'm no longer bleeding, so it should be fine."

He reached out to stroke her face, grazing his thumb along the fullness of her lips. Then he leaned in for a kiss. His mouth claimed hers hungrily, and as the tips of their tongues met, they engaged in a slow, tantalizing dance. They kept their mouths sealed for a good half minute before pulling away for air.

"Are you back on the pill?"

She nodded. "It hasn't completely kicked in yet, though, so we need to use back up. You have that pack of condoms we bought, right?"

"Yeah, I'll grab them." He reached over to retrieve them from the bedside drawer, and took one of out of the package.

"Here, I'll do it." She grabbed the foil wrapper from his hand and then tore it open.

Nolan lifted his hips up so he could slide his boxers down his legs, and then kicked them off around his feet. Julia enclosed her palm around his warm length, and then offered him a few languid strokes.

She only had to pump him a half dozen times before he was rock hard, and then she stretched the condom over the thick head of his penis. Once he was fully sheathed, Nolan took off her camisole and panties, then he climbed on top of her, staring deep into her eyes.

He spread her legs nice and wide for him, and then slowly guided himself in. They maintained deep eye contact as he did it, and once he'd sunk all the way in, she uttered a moan of contentment. She'd been craving him for days, and the sensation of his hard shaft stretching her walls was deeply pleasurable.

"I've missed this so much." His voice came out throaty with desire.

"So have I. Feels so good to have you inside me again." She arched her back and bucked her hips forward to meet his slow, gentle thrusts.

He moved tenderly on top of her, placing light kisses against her neck and the flesh of her breasts. Everywhere he touched left a trail of heat in its wake, and every moan that he gave caused his breath to ghost against her skin. As he pumped her with a steady rhythm, the sound of their lovemaking filled the air.

She immersed herself in their moment of bliss, hoping to memorize every detail of the moment-the taste of his lips as they met with hers, the sight of his face as it contorted in pleasure, the feel of his naked flesh pressed flush against hers. She committed all of these things to memory, knowing it'd help her to get through the next few months. As their tongues tangled, his thrusts grew deeper, and their bodies communicated in a dance of passion, rocking and thrusting toward the pinnacle of ecstasy.

* * * *

Nolan and Julia had been dating for nearly six months now, but the past three months had been spent apart from each other, since Nolan was in the South Pacific. The separation had been more difficult than either had expected, but their time apart had been made a little easier when Julia came to Samoa to visit Nolan for a week.

The seven days they shared together had been wonderful, and Nolan had proudly shown her various sights of the beautiful island. They'd gone snorkeling through breathtaking reefs, visited marketplaces where traditional crafts were sold, and gone swimming in a freshwater cave pool. They'd also taken in a rugby game, and Nolan had brought her to the village where his parents were born, introducing her to the members of his extended family that still resided there.

Her experience on the island has been nothing short of amazing, and once their week together had come to an end, Julia had found it very difficult to leave. She'd been in tears as they said their goodbyes at the airport, and once she'd returned home she found herself eagerly counting the days until he would be back on home soil.

After what seemed an eternity, Nolan's trip overseas had finally come to an end, and now here she was, waiting impatiently in the baggage claim area of the airport. She was caught in a maze of bustling travelers, and the air around her was stuffy from the abundance of body heat.

Her eyes roved anxiously from person to person, and as they finally caught sight of him, she waved her arms and called out his name. The instant his eyes landed on her, he broke into a smile, and weaved his way through the throng of people until he reached her.

Nolan bent down to enclose her in a tender embrace, and she looped her arms around his neck, tilting her chin upward to offer her lips. Their mouths sealed in a heated, passionate kiss, and he held her in such a tight hug that it nearly stole her breath away. Somehow they managed to finally pull apart, and as he cradled her face between his palms, he gazed adoringly at her.

"I missed you so much." His eyes were lit up with happiness.

"Missed you more."

The corners of his lips tugged into a smile, and he grabbed the handle of his suitcase. They clasped hands and headed for the exit, and once they were outside they made their way to the parking garage. Once they reached her car he put his suitcase in the trunk, and then they took off. During their ride home, Nolan told her of all the places he'd seen and the various experiences he'd had.

She was fascinated by the stories he told, and ecstatic to hear that he'd made connections with people who were interested in providing him with future jobs. So overall, it seemed that the trip had been very successful, and she couldn't be any more pleased.